Complete Guide to Buying a Mahindra Bolero Neo

We all know the Mahindra XUV7OO and its predecessor, the Mahindra XUV5OO, have been groundbreaking successes. But not many know that Mahindra has a special reason for ending their names with “O.” The Indian carmaker perceived that ending their vehicle names with the letter “O” was a lucky factor for the grand success of the Mahindra Bolero and Scorpio. As superstitious as it sounds, it seemed to work wonders in the following years. Understandably, Mahindra has a quirky relationship with the names of its cars. For example, the Mahindra TUV3OO tanked on the sales chart, so Mahindra gave it the name of their best-ever-selling car, Mahindra Bolero, and rebadged it to Mahindra Bolero Neo. As expected, it worked pretty well for them and today, Mahindra Bolero Neo sells in considerably good volumes. Not that the SUV is not good on its own. In addition to the Bolero’s unmatchable ruggedness, the Bolero Neo brings a premium quotient expected of urban cars. This is why, while it is common to see the Mahindra Bolero Neo among the police fleet, many folks prefer to own it for daily needs. If you are one such individual, here is a complete buying guide to owning a Mahindra Bolero Neo, which explains its merits, shortcomings, and the best variant for you. 

Mahindra Bolero Neo Specifications

Mahindra Bolero Neo Variants

Mahindra sells four variants of the Mahindra Bolero Neo: N4, N8, N10, and N10 (O). All variants come with a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. As far as colour schemes are concerned, the Mahindra Bolero Neo is available in Napoli Black, Majestic Silver, Highway Red, Pearl White, Diamond White, and Rocky Beige. Here is a full list of the Mahindra Bolero Neo variants and their ex-showroom prices.

Best Mahindra Bolero Neo Variant to Buy

The base N4 variant of the Mahindra Bolero Neo offers central Locking, cornering brake control, all power windows, AC with heater, tilt Steering, engine auto-start/stop, and more. While the N4 variant misses some key essentials such as the music system, steering-mounted controls, power-adjustable outside mirrors, and day-night inside mirror, it can be reasonable for someone looking for a capable rear-wheel-drive SUV under Rs 10 lakh.

The next variant, Bolero Neo N8, adds 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, music-system with Bluetooth, USB, Aux, steering-mounted controls, rear washer and wiper, remote central locking, rear defogger, manual day/night inside mirror, wheel covers, and more. This variant brings many must-have features and comes across as a better value-for-money deal compared to the N4 variant.

One above, the Bolero Neo N10 variant adds fog lamps, cornering lights, ISOFIX child seat anchors, front armrests for driver and front passenger, centre cabin light, a 7-inch touchscreen, power-adjustable outside mirrors, height-adjustable driver seat, follow-me headlamps, cruise control, alloy wheels, and more. For the premium it asks over the lower variants, it justifies its price well and is a recommended model if you do not need the rear differential locking system.

The top variant, Bolero N10 (O) only adds the locking rear differential, which Mahindra calls Multi-Terrain Technology. With the rear differential lock, if any rear wheels get stuck due to any obstruction, you can lock the rear differential to send more torque to the stuck wheel and make it work around the obstruction. This feature is immensely useful on bad roads, where the rear wheels can get stuck in mud or potholes. If you frequently drive on bad patches or want to do some off-roading, it is the N10 (O) variant you should go for.

Mahindra Bolero Neo Warranty and Service Cost

The Mahindra Bolero Neo comes with a standard 3-year/100,000 km warranty. Mahindra also has an extended warranty program known as ‘Shield’, which lets you buy warranty covers for mechanical and electrical failures. The ‘Shield’ extended warranty can also be bought on EMIs.  As far as service cost is concerned, you might need to spend between Rs 5,000 – 7,000 for every scheduled service at intervals of 10,000 km or 1 year.

Why you should consider the Mahindra Bolero Neo

The Mahindra Bolero Neo is a car of a special breed and its advantages differ vastly from the perks you expect from a sub-four-meter SUV. Here are some of the key merits of owning a Mahindra Bolero Neo.

Only 7-seater SUV in the Sub-4-meter Segment (Except Standard Mahindra Bolero)

While this might sound like stating the obvious, it is worth emphasising. A true-blue SUV, which can accommodate seven occupants and can be owned under Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom) is a valuable offering even without considering anything else about it. If a family does not bother about premium features and wants a seven-seater SUV that offers some modern-day essentials such as power windows, AC with heater, music system, and enough space for all family members, the Mahindra Bolero Neo is a great option to consider as a seven-seater SUV. What you also get as a bonus is robust build quality that protects you in case of any unfortunate accident.

Off-roading calibre

This is where the Mahindra Bolero Neo actually shines. A rugged character is what the ‘Bolero’ badge has always been acclaimed for and belonging to the same lineage, the Mahindra Bolero Neo is an exceptional utility vehicle for challenging and unforgiving terrains.  Like the standard Bolero, the Mahindra Bolero Neo is based on a ladder-frame chassis, also known as a body-on-frame chassis. This type of chassis features a separate body and frame where the engine and drivetrain are one unit while the body is another unit. In contrast, mainstream SUVs like the Tata Nexon and Hyundai Creta are built on a monocoque chassis where the frame and body are one unit. While this chassis makes the Bolero Neo heavier (around 1.5 tonnes) than other compact SUVs (around 1.2 tonnes), it is a lot more off-road and abuse-friendly and helps the Bolero Neo ride unsettled even across highly undulating and broken roads, usually found in rural India. Sometimes there are no roads at all and yet the Bolero Neo easily ploughs through most of the adversities the rural stretches throw its way. Moreover, with the rear-wheel-differential locking, the Bolero Neo becomes even more capable. With the rear differential lock, if any of the rear wheels gets stuck due to any obstruction, you can lock the rear differential, so that maximum torque is channelised to the stuck wheel and makes it work around the obstruction.

A Stronger Bolero

It is also worth mentioning that while the Mahindra Bolero Neo shares its engine with the standard Mahindra Bolero, it produces 24 PS more power and 50 Nm more torque. Mahindra has achieved this with a variable geometry turbocharger whose adjustable vanes increase pressure at lower engine speeds while reducing lag. This gives the Bolero excellent driveability as most of its torque output is available between 1,750 – 2,250 RPM, which means cruising around the city is effortless, despite the heavy clutch that is part and parcel of a diesel powertrain.

Value for Money

As far as prices are concerned, the Mahindra Bolero Neo costs almost equal to the standard Mahindra Bolero, except for the top variant, where the price difference is about Rs 1.2 lakh. However, the Mahindra Bolero Neo packs a more premium cabin and more power. And if we compare it to any other car in the same price bracket, none can match the value of its package of Bonafide SUV credentials, features, space, and off-roading calibre.

Why you should not consider the Mahindra Bolero Neo

While there are many pleasures of owning a Mahindra Bolero Neo, like every other car in the world, it has certain limitations. Here are a few reasons you might want to skip the Mahindra Bolero Neo and look for another car in the same price bracket.

No Petrol Engine & Automatic Transmission Options

The Mahindra Bolero is a more premium version of the standard Mahindra Bolero and for that reason, it would have been better if it offered a petrol engine as well. As the Bolero Neo targets a more urban audience, a petrol engine is smoother for the city and daily driving. The same could also be said for an automatic transmission as it would have made driving the Bolero Neo in the city easier.

Short on Ride Comfort

While the Mahindra Bolero Neo can accommodate seven passengers, it does not deliver the level of ride comfort, which mainstream compact SUVs and mid-size SUVs offer. But this is part and parcel of rugged SUVs, which are underpinned by ladder-frame chassis. A ride in a Mahindra Bolero can get bouncy and bumpy on uneven surfaces.

Jump Seats

While the Mahindra Bolero Neo is a 7-seater car, the last two seats in the rear section are jump seats, which are not as comfortable as a regular third row you get in cars like Mahindra Scorpio N. In the jump seats of the Mahindra Bolero Neo occupants face each other and cannot get adequate comfort over long drives as they are cramped with no incline or height adjustability. Moreover, these jump seats, when deployed, also eat into the boot space. Given these constraints, it is best to consider the Bolero Neo a 5-seater car that can occasionally seat smaller adults or children in the last row.

Summary

The Mahindra TUV300 remained underrated in its run which was not a long one, and the badge of the Mahindra Bolero Neo has earned it the success it deserved. In this buying guide, we learn about the specifications, advantages, and limitations of the Mahindra Bolero Neo. If each of its aspects is taken into account, the Mahindra Bolero Neo is a wonderful deal for many. It is an affordable seven-seater SUV, capable of off-roader, and exceptional value-for-money offering, with certain limitations such as no petrol engine and automatic transmission on offer, uncomfortable jump seats, and inadequate ride comfort.

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